1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rider characteristic determining apparatus for determining characteristics of a rider controlling a saddle riding type vehicle, and to a saddle riding type vehicle including such a rider characteristic determining apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a characteristic determining apparatus for an operator who controls a vehicle has been intended for the driver of a four-wheeled vehicle. As a characteristic determining technique for the driver of a four-wheeled vehicle, there is a characteristic determination that provides scores based on variations of a steering angle over time. With four-wheeled vehicles, a steering angle is governed by a steering control amount by the driver, and therefore a characteristic determination of the driver is carried out using only steering angles.
The characteristic determining apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-232172 detects a steering control amount of the driver, and detects which of three types of steering states, i.e. aright steering, a left steering, and a steering angle maintenance, from predicted steering components of steering along a curve. A driving support apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed, which determines a steering characteristic of steering of the driver from the number of detected steering states, and changes control of the vehicle in response to the determined steering characteristic.
The characteristic determining apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 3269296 detects a steering control, a vehicle speed, and a yaw rate of the vehicle, and determines a vehicles position recovering characteristic derived from a correlation between a front and rear wheel speed difference and a reverse steering angle corresponding to counter steer, a curve negotiating characteristic derived from a correlation between the yaw rate and a maximum steering angle during a turn, and a high speed run accommodating characteristic derived from a correlation between the vehicle speed and maximum steering angle. A driving characteristic detecting apparatus and a vehicle motion control apparatus are disclosed, which change controls of the vehicle according to the determined characteristics.
In the characteristic determining apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 3516986, a driving skill estimating apparatus is disclosed, which detects a steering angle, a vehicle speed, a yaw rate, a throttle operation and a brake operation, derives a target track and an actual tack of the vehicle from the detected values, and determines a driving skill based on a difference therebetween.
However, the techniques described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-232172, Japanese Patent No. 3269296 and Japanese Patent No. 3516986 assume that the steering angle of the vehicle is influenced only by steering control. Therefore, control characteristics cannot be evaluated properly for a saddle riding type vehicle having a steering angle that is greatly influenced by other directions of rotation angle besides steering control.
Thus, the techniques described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-232172, Japanese Patent No. 3269296, and Japanese Patent No. 3516986 are premised on the steering angle of the vehicle being influenced only by the steering angle. This is because the above patent documents are directed mainly to the driver of a four-wheeled vehicle, and it can be considered that the vehicle steering angle in the four-wheeled vehicle is substantially governed by steering control of the driver.